1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device and method for transmitting shape information of an image displayed on a screen through a user's tactile sensation and, more particularly, to a tactile transmission device and method, which realizes the miniaturization of the device, thus allowing the device to be easily provided in small electronic equipment, and which is capable of precisely transmitting shape information of an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, technology for transmitting an image displayed on a screen to a user has been developed. As an example of such technology, Korean Patent No. 536621 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,660 have been proposed.
The conventional inventions are provided with a tactile transmission part having a plurality of pins which are movable up and down. The pins of the tactile transmission part individually move up and down according to the image displayed on a screen, thus stimulating a user's hand or fingers. Thus, according to the prior art, by adjusting the number and the arrangement of the pins stimulating the fingers, the shape information (curvature, texture, etc.) of the image displayed on the screen is transmitted to the user.
However, the prior art must be provided with several units for moving the pins up and down, thus there is a limitation in the reduction of the size and weight of the tactile transmission device. Hence, it is substantially impossible to apply the prior art to portable equipment, such as a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or a mobile phone, the size of which is becoming smaller and smaller.
Meanwhile, the tactile sensation, transmitted to a user's hand and fingers through the plurality of pins, varies in different regions of the hand and fingers. The reason for this is because the hand and fingers are not planar, but have a three-dimensional shape having many curved surfaces and curvatures, and the thickness of the skin is different in different regions of the hand or fingers. However, the prior art simply moves the pins to stimulate the user's hand or fingers without considering the shape of the hand and fingers or the thickness of the skin, so that the shape information obtained through the user's tactile sensation is not equal to that obtained by viewing an image. Thus, a new tactile transmission device, which is capable of transmitting the shape information of an image in consideration of the characteristics of a user's body, is keenly required.